{"h1":"Is PECS backed by research evidence?","faq":[{"a":"No — this is a common worry, but the research does not show PECS suppressing speech. For some children, spoken words actually emerge as communicating becomes less frustrating. PECS gives a child a reliable way to be understood now, while speech continues to be encouraged alongside it.","q":"Will using PECS stop my child from learning to talk?"},{"a":"PECS was developed with autistic children in mind and is best studied in that group, but it can help any child who has limited spoken language and clear things they want to communicate. A speech-language therapist decides whether it suits your individual child after looking at their strengths and needs.","q":"Is PECS only for autistic children?"},{"a":"Many children learn the first step — handing over a single picture to request something — within a structured teaching sequence, sometimes quite quickly. Building toward sentences, commenting and using it everywhere takes more time and consistent practice across home and centre. Progress varies from child to child.","q":"How long does it take to see results with PECS?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-backed-by-research-evidence","title":"Is PECS Backed by Research Evidence?","entity":{"key":"pecs","kind":"therapy_modality","name":"The Picture Exchange Communication System (Pecs)","slug":null},"parent":{"key":"therapies","label":"Therapies"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"which-children-benefit-most-from-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"Which children benefit most from PECS?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-the-right-therapy-for-a-child-with-autism-spectrum","title":"Is PECS the right therapy for a child with autism?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-goals-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-work-on","title":"What goals does PECS work on?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"What is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-techniques-are-used-in-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs","title":"What techniques are used in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-help-a-child-develop","title":"How Does PECS Help a Child Develop?"}],"summary":"Yes — PECS is one of the better-studied picture-based communication approaches. Controlled trials and systematic reviews show it helps many non-speaking or minimally verbal children learn to request and communicate intentionally, and the evidence does not show it suppressing speech. Gains are strongest for requesting, with conversational language and generalisation needing deliberate practice — so PECS works best as one well-supported tool within a broader, individualised communication plan guided by a speech-language therapist.","answer_md":"*When your child hands you a little picture to ask for a biscuit instead of crying — that small, mighty exchange is the heart of PECS, and it rests on a genuine body of research.*\n\n## In short\nYes — the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is one of the better-studied picture-based communication approaches for children who are not yet speaking or who have limited spoken language. Research, including controlled trials and several systematic reviews, shows PECS can help many autistic children and others with communication differences learn to request and communicate intentionally, and that it does **not** stop speech from developing — in some children it sits alongside emerging words. As with any approach, results vary from child to child, which is why an individualised plan matters more than any single method.\n\n## What the evidence actually says\nPECS teaches a child to start communicating by handing a picture card to another person to get something they want — building, step by step, from a single exchange to short sentences and commenting. The research picture is encouraging:\n\n- **Controlled studies** show that many children acquire requesting (asking) skills reliably with PECS, often within a structured teaching sequence.\n- **Systematic reviews** classify PECS among the evidence-based and emerging-evidence practices for autism communication, particularly for teaching functional requesting.\n- A common parent worry — *will pictures hold back talking?* — is reassuringly answered: the evidence does **not** show PECS suppressing speech. For some children, spoken words emerge as communication becomes less frustrating.\n\nWhat the evidence is *less* certain about is long-term, complex conversational language and how well skills carry across every setting — gains are strongest for requesting and need deliberate practice across home, centre and community to generalise. So PECS is best seen as one well-supported tool within a broader, child-led communication plan, not a standalone cure.\n\n## When it tends to suit a child\nPECS is often considered for a child who has clear wants but few or no reliable words, who is not yet pointing or gesturing to communicate, or who becomes frustrated because they cannot make themselves understood. A speech-language therapist looks at the whole child — motivation, motor skills, current communication and family routines — before recommending PECS, another augmentative approach, or a blend.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care, never from an app or form. Our [speech therapy](/speech-therapy) team weighs PECS against your child's strengths and goals, then weaves the right communication supports into everyday play and routines so skills carry from card to conversation. Start by exploring how we [understand your child's communication profile](/).\n\n## Trusted sources\nASHA on augmentative and alternative communication and evidence-based practice; the American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren on supporting communication in autistic children; Cochrane reviews on communication interventions.\n\n**Next step —** If your child has plenty to say but few words to say it with, book a communication screen and let our speech-language team show you whether PECS could open the door.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-backed-by-research-evidence","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/is-the-picture-exchange-communication-system-pecs-backed-by-research-evidence","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"meta_title":"Is PECS Backed by Research Evidence?","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Keep one or two favourite-snack pictures within easy reach and pause invitingly when your child wants something, giving them the chance to hand you the picture rather than reaching or crying — every successful exchange builds communication confidence.","published_at":"2026-06-10T12:38:00.116011+00:00","what_to_watch":"A child who has clear wants but few or no reliable words, who is not yet pointing or gesturing to communicate, or who becomes distressed because they cannot make themselves understood — these are signs a communication review is worth booking.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/augmentative-and-alternative-communication/","label":"ASHA — Augmentative and Alternative Communication"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/Autism/Pages/default.aspx","label":"HealthyChildren (AAP) — Supporting communication in autism"},{"url":"https://www.cochrane.org/","label":"Cochrane — Reviews of communication interventions"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T12:38:00.116011+00:00","meta_description":"PECS is one of the better-studied picture communication approaches. See what the research shows for requesting, speech and autism — and when it suits a chi","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}